LOS ANGELES — Bo Nix is not fixed.
The defense dropped its fangs into Justin Herbert. Jim Harbaugh did something stupid. And the ground game found fertile soul.
So, sure, the Broncos deserved their 23-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, smelling salts and panic bringing Denver to its senses Sunday as the season teetered on the verge of collapse.
But there should be no victory lap.
Playing in a stadium that will host the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day, the Broncos looked like a team that had its shining moment last season. They looked like a team that has become a monument to offensive regression.
The conversation last January centered on how the Broncos would have beaten the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game if Bo Nix had played. The conversation in October has become something more sobering, chilling. Can the Broncos beat good teams with Bo Nix playing like this?
Last year’s greatness has vanished. Publicly, everyone says the right things, that ironing our wrinkles takes more than a few practices. That Sean Payton taking over play-calling from Davis Webb was not an overnight panacea.
But it is time to wring hands, grind teeth and chug Pepto-Bismol over Nix.
This is not opinion. This is not hyperbole. This is fact.
Nix finished 16 of 27 for 123 yards, one touchdown and an endless stream of questions. The Broncos paired Jaylen Waddle with Courtland Sutton to become dangerous and explosive.
Yeah, right. Martial arts has become partial arts.
Sutton didn’t get an official target until the fourth quarter. Waddle finished with two catches. The Broncos went 1-for-12 on third down.
Save for three plays in the final period fueled by Harbaugh’s mindless decision to go for it on fourth down at the 41-yard line with 10:27 remaining and a 17-10 lead — “I messed up,” he admitted — the Broncos won in spite of Nix, not because of him.
He continues to play with the timidity of a rookie, paralyzed by the fear of turning the ball over or getting hurt. That’s my read. Take your pick.
Payton tied the second chapter of his coaching legacy to Nix, and has gone to great lengths to defend the former Oregon star since drafting him.
He offered a glimpse into Nix’s struggles — or at least what he wants from the 26-year-old — in his postgame presser.
“You are looking for small steps. There were some things that were good, specifically staying on the field. I have to be a little better too with some of those calls relative to protection,” Payton said. “I have said to him, ‘Man you are the guy we wanted here. Let’s go.’ He has done a ton of things well. I think a lot of things go into that. You know that old TV series ‘The Bear’ where they said, ‘Let it rip.’ I want him to make sure he knows that.”
In the show, Mikey used the phrase to encourage and inspire confidence. Payton is doing the right thing, verbally putting his arms around the quarterback.
Everything Payton has accomplished with the Broncos — establishing a winning culture, toughness, resilience — becomes threatened if Nix doesn’t snap out of his funk.
A cornerback can have a bad day with little consequence. Receivers can disappear without anyone other than fantasy league owners taking notice.
But when a quarterback has a cringeworthy performance, it shakes the foundation to the core.
Whether because of multiple ankle surgeries in the offseason or an old-fashioned slump, Nix isn’t playing like the face of a franchise.
His 123 passing yards represented the second-lowest of his career. Only the 60 yards against the Jets in a monsoon in the fourth game of his rookie season when he couldn’t grip the ball, ranks worst.
Bo Nix #10 and Courtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos celebrate after their touchdown connection against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 11, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Anomaly? Not exactly.
Two of Nix’s five lowest totals came in the first five weeks: Sunday against the Chargers and the opener at Kansas City (131).
“I think it was OK,” said Nix when asked to assess his play. “Getting one third down (conversion) is not great football. We were able to get over 100 yards rushing, and that was the key. At the end of the day we have to score more points.”
Even on a day when the Broncos’ defense found its footing, Harbaugh’s brain freeze kept Nix from getting going.
After a rapidly dissolving Herbert failed to convert — he looked over to the sideline with palms up just as confused as the rest of us — Nix connected with Sutton for a first down. He ran around the end for 7 yards. He hung in on a blitz as a leaping Tony Jefferson collided with his right knee while Nix hit Waddle.
This play, along with a 34-yard dot to tight end Evan Engram in the first quarter, a pass he eschewed at San Francisco, represents a sliver of light. A snapshot that the darkness will fade.
Nix continues to get praise for his leadership and poise, but that is like a date raving about your personality.
“When it came down to it, he helped us win,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “That was important. And we are all going to continue to grow.”
Nix has been terrible early — one passing touchdown in the first quarter — and entered Sunday 16 for 46 against five- and six-man pressures. It was so bad early in the fourth quarter — 12 for 22 for 89 yards — I wondered on social media if Payton would consider benching him.
That thought was fleeting when I remembered the backup is Jarrett Stidham.
Nix was a huge reason the Broncos won 14 games last season with speckles of magic. Siegfried & Roy needed tigers. All he needed was the fourth quarter.
Nix still shows that ability, but it is quickly becoming the only thing. Watching Nix the last two weeks is like going back to 2024. The current version, with the stops, starts, check downs and fumbles, is almost completely unrecognizable.
The Broncos won Sunday, and a team need not apologize for any road triumph. But the Seahawks are waiting on Thursday. They are the defending champions, and favored by 3 points in Denver.
We can criticize Payton for pulling the plug on Webb, critique the inconsistent offensive line and wonder how the secondary will hold up against Jaxon Smith-Njigba without potentially three starters.
Those are not the biggest concerns.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, Nix can no longer get a pass.
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